TBrennan Posted April 22, 2004 Share Posted April 22, 2004 Well I went down to Champaign yesterday to see Lawrence at Roger Ebert's film fest there. They showed the picture at the Virginia, an 1500 seat old movie palace Downtown. The movie was projected in 70mm with multi-channel DTS sound. (Some of you young'uns may not know it but these 70mm spectacles had multi-channel magnetic sound). My daughter Bridgid, a history major at the U of I, and I sat up in the balcony on an aisle close to center. Ebert had a little chat with Jack Valenti onstage before the picture and then introduced the picture. He'd brought in a couple of crack projectionists from Hollywood and they stated that the print to be shown was the finest print of Lawrence they'd ever seen. Robert Harris, the fella who restored the movie beack in the 80s was there and agreed. Well this news really had the sold-out crown excited. Well anyway both sound, and much more importantly the picture, were first-class. I've never seen a better projected image, never. The clarity, detail and brightness was outstanding. And this in a projected image so large that even in the balcony it filled a great deal of one's field of vision. People were oohing and aahing at the glorious things onscreen. Now the bad parts. The seat was uncomfortable and the rows were tight one uopn the other, VERY little legroom. By the time Lawrence went back to get Gassim I had to get up and stretch. I talked with the theatre manager about the sound system; as I suspected they had Altec A4s behind the screen and the bass was augmented with several JBL Pro subs using dual 18s. He said the A5s had fairly new compression drivers and the multi-cells had been replaced with CD horns, Manta-Rays I presumed. By intermission I was ready to go; Lawrence IS a slow-paced picture and I have seen it many times, together with my discomfort I was ready to throw in the towell. And Bridgid was ready to cold-cock the idiot sitting next to her who was evidently out to set a new record for nose-picking. She was MORE than ready to go. I went to relive the 70mm spectacle experience and I did, I didn't need to see the entire picture. I'm glad I went. I took the 2-lane Rte 47 on the way home, I covered from Mahomet to Dwight in well under an hour. I had the big Vic rolling over the prarie at 100+ mph only slowing down for Gibson City, Sibley, Strawn and Forrest. Damn, I love Illinois. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben. Posted April 22, 2004 Share Posted April 22, 2004 Nice report, Tom. The theater experience is one that I have eschewed for some years now, for reasons similar to the ones you state. A couple Khorns and 36" HDTV are plenty for me. And I can crap any time I want! I'd also have to agree with the content of ...Arabia. I rented it years ago, and I kept waiting to give a dang about it. Never happened. 70mm must be some spectacle, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avman Posted April 22, 2004 Share Posted April 22, 2004 thank you for the report... high definition in a HOME theater is EXCEPTIONAL picture quality,and most good-to-great home front projectors do a wonderful job with other different sources. after being in the 'biz' for so many years,i have been extremely pleased w/my ht room,and my current a/v system gives me great pleasure(when i have the TIME to enjoy it). i can watch any movie or concert that can be rented/purchased/received over satellite/cable/local digital/DVD/vhs,etc.. NO 'nose pickers',NO cramped seating,'pause and review' are available-even subtitles(when you miss what was said). food/beverage of your own choosing,volume set to level YOU want-i even play video games on it! the Superbowl has become an annual event for family/friends at my house(3 yrs. in a row) what i am saying is: i would love to have experienced a 70mm high-quality film,but HOME theater is GREAT!! FWIW- avman. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Songer Posted April 22, 2004 Share Posted April 22, 2004 ---------------- On 4/22/2004 1:11:34 PM bclarke421 wrote: I'd also have to agree with the content of ... Arabia. I rented it years ago, and I kept waiting to give a dang about it. Never happened. 70mm must be some spectacle, though. ---------------- ARE YOU MAD? Lean's materpiece might well be THE greatest film ever made. NO PRISONERS! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Frankel Posted April 22, 2004 Share Posted April 22, 2004 i have to agree with Allen on "El Aurens". If one wants to learn about the entire mid east situation, including Iraq, all one has to do is watch this film. It lays it all out, chapter and verse, how it is a no-win situation for any western country to be involved there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gullahisland Posted April 22, 2004 Share Posted April 22, 2004 i have to agree with Allen on "El Aurens". If one wants to learn about the entire mid east situation, including Iraq, all one has to do is watch this film. It lays it all out, chapter and verse, how it is a no-win situation for any western country to be involved there. ________________________________________________________________ Trolling...trolling...trolling... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBrennan Posted April 22, 2004 Author Share Posted April 22, 2004 Lawrence is a great picture. But I've seen it, what, at least 20 times and that's counting several times when it was first released and 3 times when the restoration was released in 89. And then the VHS, the laserdisc, the DVD.... So there were no surprises to be had. And don't kid yourselves fellas, your HT pales compared a 70mm movie. Or a 35mm one for that matter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Songer Posted April 22, 2004 Share Posted April 22, 2004 ---------------- On 4/22/2004 1:57:35 PM Mike Frankel wrote: i have to agree with Allen on "El Aurens". If one wants to learn about the entire mid east situation, including Iraq, all one has to do is watch this film. It lays it all out, chapter and verse, how it is a no-win situation for any western country to be involved there. ---------------- Not a troll. This is the truth. Can ANYONE dispute that the artificially drawn boundires imposed by the British after WWI that CREATED Iraq have directly led to the internal strife among Suni, Shiite and Kurdish factions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avman Posted April 22, 2004 Share Posted April 22, 2004 ---------------- On 4/22/2004 2:04:30 PM TBrennan wrote: And don't kid yourselves fellas, your HT pales compared a 70mm movie. Or a 35mm one for that matter. ---------------- not kidding myself- i would be very excited about seeing an exceptional picture-quality movie in a commercial theater. i am also aware that the 'benchmark' for video in a home theater environment IS film. OTOH- he and his daughter left at intermission because(along w/other reasons): unsavory company uncomfortable seating talking and crying kids and cell phones and funk on the floor/seats;$5 hot dogs/nachos/popcorn/candy/soft drinks;sound too loud/low-or just overall BAD sound are things i DON'T have to deal with in MY home theater. as far as picture quality is concerned,there are a number of front projector technologies that approach-even RIVAL (can you say SXRD ?) film. JMO- avman. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yossarian Posted April 22, 2004 Share Posted April 22, 2004 I went to see a 70mm restored print of Lawrence in Chicago about two years ago. I have never seen anything look so good anywhere, period. The detail present in the 70mm presentation is mindbending. I don't know who the cinematographer or director of photography were, but they did some of the best work in the history of cinema, IMHO. The sound at the theater I saw Lawrence at was perfectly adequate, but nothing extraordinary. I guess it just goes to show that even "obsolete" technology can produce a stunning effect if properly implemented. Political opinions aside, I think that it is beyond question that what is considered the modern middle east was born from the aftermath of the First World War. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBrennan Posted April 22, 2004 Author Share Posted April 22, 2004 Avman---I've never seen a home video display I'd compare with film. In fact I think things are going backwards; I find these new digital TVs crawling with worms and other digital nasties and I think they're damned near unwatchable. I have money burning a hole in my pocket for a new TV and I'm sticking with my analog TV. I'd buy if I saw something better, I haven't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZAKO Posted April 22, 2004 Share Posted April 22, 2004 High def TV weather 62 inch plasma or projected on 15 foot wall cannot compare with 70mm film its breathtaking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrMcGoo Posted April 22, 2004 Share Posted April 22, 2004 When high def DVD is out, I will buy a copy of Lawrence. I have watched the movie many times and never loose interest until very late in the movie. Current problems in Iraq date from the end of WW I. British ambitions in Arabia during WW I are shown quite clearly in parts of the movie. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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